Spring mounting for eye sets for dolls



April 14, 1936. N popov c 2,037,391

SPRING MOUNTING FOR EYE SETS FOR DOLLS Filed Nov. 19, 1955 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 14, 1936 PATENT OFFICE SPRING MOUNTING FOR EYE SETS FOR DOLLS Nicholas Popovlch, Teaneck, N. J., assignor of one-third to Joseph A. Taferner and one-third to Leo J. Schlitzer, both of New York, N. Y.

Application November 19, 1935, Serial No. 50,486

6 Claims. (01. 46- 169) This invention relates in general to eye sets for dolls and artificial figures which include eye members that are mounted within the head of a doll or the like to rotate in eye openings or sockets and simulate natural movements of the eyes as in opening and closing thereof.

More particularly, the invention relates to eye sets of this character which comprise a supporting means secured in the doll head adjacent the eye openings, and a spring bracket for mounting the eyemembers on the supporting means for holding the eye members in the eye sockets or openings.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combination of a supporting means for such eye sets to be secured in the walls of the doll head and a spring bracket for mounting the eye members on the supporting means and for holding them in the eye sockets or openings, which shall be simple and easy to mount in a doll head and reliable and durable.

Another object is to provide an eye set of the character described which will comprise a supporting bar in the form of a single piece of metal which is initially of a length less than the distance between opposite sides of the side walls of a doll head and has prongs in its ends to penetrate the material of the head, the barbeinglongitudinally extensible for forcing the prongs into the head, and a spring bracket for mounting the eye members on the supporting means and embodying novel and improved features of construction whereby the supporting bar can be secured in a doll head without affecting the conreliable and durable in operation, and to obtain other advantages and results as will be brought out by the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in which corresponding and like parts are designated throughout the several views by the same reference characters,

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an eye set embodying my invention, showing it in a doll head which is illustrated in vertical section.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2, with portions broken away and shown in section.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the supporting bar and spring bracket with the eye members and pivot rod removed, and

Figure 5 is a detached perspective view of the spring bracket.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the reference character A designates a doll head of known construction which is formed of penetrable material and has the usual eye sockets B-in the face portion thereof. In each of the eye sockets is arranged an eye member I mounted to rotate to simulate opening and closing at the eyes, these eye members being mounted on a pivot member or rod 2 which is in turn pivotally mounted in a spring bracket C which is secured on a supporting member or, bar 4.

The supporting bar is shown in the form of a flat strip of ductile metal having endsections 5 which are provided with integral prongs 6 for penetrating the material of the doll head. The bar also has a central section I provided with two slots 8 spaced longitudinally of the bar, and intermediate sections between the central section and end sections which have openings 9 '-bounded by sinuous rod like portions In each of prongs 6 into the walls'of the doll head.

The bracket C for'supporting the pivot member or rod 2 comprises a single strip of resilient material, preferably sheet metal which isbent to form two approximately parallel U-shaped arms ll spaced longitudinally of the strip at approximately the middle of the length thereof and having notches I! in their bases to pivotally receive the pivot rod 2. Each of the arms H is inserted through one of the slots 8 from the same and rear side of the bar 4, that is, the side most distant from the face portion of the doll head, and the pivot rod.- 2 is disposed transversely of the arms I I and the eye sockets B so that the eye members i are held in the eye sockets. Each of the end portions of the strip passes through one of the openings 9 from the rear side of the bar and is returned upon the opposite side of the bar this construction, the strip may yield out of its general plane to permit the arms II to move longitudinally through the slots 8 and allow the eye members I to be properly seated and resiliently held in the respective sockets B. This function is particularly important in preventing accidental displacement of the eye members from the sockets, and to compensate for irregularities in mounting the bar 4 in the head so as to obviate jamming of the eye members in the eye sockets.

For limiting flexing of the bracket in the direction to permit movement of the eye members away from the sockets, I provide integral stamped up lugs I 3 on the arms II to engage the bar 4.

It will be observed that the bracket can be easily and quickly applied to the bar without special fastening means and will be securely held in position thereon. Moreover, the bracket can be applied to the bar before the latter is mounted in the head, and the bar can be extended to drive the prongs into the head without affecting the mounting of the bracket on the bar.

For rotating the eye members, a pendulum is provided as usual, and includes a rod I! having one end secured to the pivot rod 2 between the eye members and having a loop or eye I! at its other end. A block IQ of metal is disposed at one side of the loop l5 and has a portion i'l punched therefrom through the loop and upset at I! at the other side of the loop for securing the block to the rod. This block also abuts the wall of the doll head to limit rotation of the eyes in one direction and a sound deadening buffer IQ of suitable material such as cardboard is clamped between the loop and the block. This manner of attaching the block and buifer to the pendulum rod is simple, inexpensive and provides a secure connection without separate fastening means.

While I have shown and described the invention as embodied in certain details of structure, this is primarily for illustrating the principles of the invention and the details of structure may be modified or changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an eye mounting, a supporting member to be mounted in a doll head and having a plurality of openings spaced longitudinally thereof, a pair of eye members and pivot rod therefor, and a bracket for said pivot rod comprising a single strip of resilient metal bent to form a pair of U-shaped approximately parallel arms spaced longitudinally of the strip at approximately the middle of the length thereof and having notches in their bases receiving said pivot rod, each of said arms passing through one of said openings in said supporting member and each of the ends of said strip passing through another of said openings and being returned upon said supportat for securing the bracket to the bar. With ing member, for securing the bracket on the supporting me her.

2. In an, eye mounting, a supporting member tobemounted'inadoll head andhaving aplurality of openings spaced longitudinally thereof, a pair of 'eye members and pivot rod therefor, and a bracket for said pivot rod comprising a single strip of resilient metal bent to form a pair of U-shaped approximately parallel arms spaced longitudinally of the strip at approximately the middle of the length thereof and having notches in their bases receiving said pivot rod, each of said arms passing through one of said openings in said supporting member from the same side of said supporting member and each of the ends of said strip passing through another of said openings from the said side of the supporting member and being returned upon the other side for securing the bracket on the supporting member.

3. In an eye mounting, a supporting member to be mounted in a doll head, a pair of eye members and a pivot rod therefor, and a bracket for said pivot rod comprising a single strip of resilient metal bent to form a pair of U-shaped approximately parallel arms spaced longitudinally of the strip at approximately the middle of the length thereof and having notches in their bases receiving said pivot rod, the ends of said strip being secured to said supporting member and stop lugs on said arms to engage the supporting member and limit flexing of said strip.

4. The eye mounting set forth in claim 1 with the addition of stop lugs on said arms to engage the supporting member and limit flexing of said strip.

5. The eye mounting set forth in claim 2 with the addition oi stop lugs on said arms to engage the supporting member and limit flexing of said strip- 6. In an eye mounting, a supporting member comprising a single strip of ductile metal having end sections with integral prongs to be embedded in opposite side walls of a doll head, a central section having a pair of parallel slots spaced longitudinally thereof and intermediate sections between said end sections and said central section having elongated openings bounded by sinuous rod-like portions capable of being partially straightened and extended by exerting tension on said end sections to drive said prongsinto a doll head and a bracket comprising a single strip of resilient metal bent to form a pair of U- shaped approximately parallel arms each passing through one of said slots in said central section and having a notch in its base receiving a pivot rod, the ends of the second-mentioned strip loosely passing through said openings in said intermediate sections from one side of the supporting member and being returned upon the other side to secure the bracket on said supporting member.

' I NICHOLAS POPOVICH. 

